It’s no misfortune for Vinnie the star

By Justin Charles

OASIS Fm and Canarian Weekly were invited to visit the set in Santa Cruz, to interview former pro footballer Vinnie Jones about his latest movie role, Ron Hopper’s Misfortune, which is being shot there, in our island’s capital.

It co-stars Sam Medina (Venom, Mills 22) and Alyssa Lozovskaya (One Man Dies A Million Times), and is produced by the newly-created Canarian company, La Ira Films Production.

The story of Sarah Romanova, a beautiful, young, Russian woman, who decides to meet her old friend from Hades, unfolds in Ron Hopper’s Misfortune, and Oasis DJ Justin Charles, more than curious about the film’s plot, tackled Vinnie Jones about it.

Justin Charles: Tell me about your character in the movie.

Vinnie Jones: I play the Ferryman, and I’m in charge of letting people over to the other side, be it Heaven or Hell. The movie is a mystery drama, and concerns a young couple in love, who want to be together on the other side. The movie centres on a special coin, which is needed to Pay The Ferryman, to ensure you get to where you want to be.

JC: So is it a fantasy movie?

VJ: it all depends on whether you believe in The Ferryman story. Lots of people do, so it really hinges on your own belief, as to whether it’s fantasy or not.

JC: How did you get the role?

VJ: J.Falero had seen me in Lock Stock & Snatch, and some other independent films, and decided he wanted me to play The Ferryman. So, no, it wasn’t an audition as such; they just wanted Vinnie Jones.

JC: You seem really excited about this role.

VJ: I genuinely am. It’s a script I can really get my teeth into, and it’s the sort of role I love to play. The dialogue is really interesting and intense. The opening scene alone has 17 pages of script, and I had to learn it in a very short time. But our Director, Jamie, is brilliant at splitting it into sections, so we do it a bit at a time, to avoid being overwhelmed. It’s great to work with him.

JC: Are you sent many scripts?

VJ: (Laughs) Yes, hundreds, most of which you read about 20 pages, then forget it. Sometimes, a script doesn’t get past 10 pages… and I’ve lost interest! However, when I got the Ron Hopper script, I read 89 pages of it on my iPad before I took a break. I couldn’t put it down, and it’s exciting when that happens.

JC: You seem to have a real love and passion for Independent Film.

VJ: I really do. It’s so hard to get finance, and such hard work. But it’s so important for the likes of J.Falero to make movies like this.

It’s why I agreed to get involved, and to be able to use my experience over the last 20 years to give them a hand. We all have to start somewhere.

It’s like in football, where you start as a player, then become a coach, then climb to be a manager.

And it’s pretty much the same road in movies, really. After all, Guy Richie started as a tea boy (laughs again), and now he is one of the biggest directors in the world. That’s why Independent Film is so important.

JC: How many movies have you made?

VJ: I believe I’ve done 105 movies now, and many TV episodes. I did nine episodes of Arrow, and I’ve also been in the brilliant Elementary, with Jonny Lee Miller. This experience has now got me into producing as well. I was very lucky to meet someone who has faith in me, and believes in what I want to do.

So I am now producing a movie with a $6 million budget, back in the US, which is amazing for an independent film. The six million dollars to someone like J.Falero and his team would be like $600 million, because they are just starting out. And that’s why I get involved in projects like this.

JC: So you make certain movies to earn money, and then you make movies that you personally love?

VJ: Yes, those films allow me to do things like Ron Hopper’s Misfortune. We all do things to make the money, and then reinvest our time in projects we love, like this one. We have an amazing script. written by J.Falero. He’s had the idea for about eight years, and has been working on it. But he actually wrote the entire script in 20 days, which was an incredible feat.

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Posted by admin
on Jan 18 2019. Filed under Entertainment.
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